Finding the right faces
by Mimulus22
Summary: When disasters happen, lists are made of people to bring in to identify the deceased. For Susan It's her job to identify her family, but she has no idea how hard it will be. This is a story about Susan going to identify her family after the train wreck in The Last Battle. one-shot.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Chronicles of Narnia.**

Finding the right faces

I had to go. It was my responsibility as the last one to go and find them, they could still be alive. It was my duty to see that my brothers and sister. . . that my parents, were really dead.

I am the oldest girl in my family, I wasn't sure if I still had my best friends, the few I grew up with, the ones that I would play games with, the ones who taught me, the ones who showed me things.

My name Susan Pevensie, and I could be the last of my family.

"Susan, it's time to go."Said a soft voice at the door way. I turned to see my aunt standing there, she understood that I was in pain so did not speak in her normal loud and boisterous ways.

I nodded my head to her and stood up quickly, grabbing my suitcase and walking out the door.

Going outside; a car was waiting for me.

"Now, are you sure you don't want us to go with you?"My aunt asked, when I was in the car the door closed, my uncle standing next to her, a concerned look on his face.

"I'm sure, thank you."I attempted a smile but it faltered, there was no assurance behind it.

The car started forward, and I turned around to look wave to my aunt and uncle.

The driver had tried to start a conversation, but after a few yes's, no's, and hearing that I was going to identify my family from a train wreck, he altogether shut up.

It was a long drive and I had plenty of time to dream. I dreamt of coming to the train wreck and finding that my family had been in a car far from the wrecked one, and we would all cry and hug each other, going home at the end of the day. I dreamt of showing up and hearing that only one or two of them had died and being there to comfort those left as well as having them comfort me.

I didn't know what to expect overall. And I knew dreaming wouldn't help, I hadn't day dreamed in a very long time, but it seemed better then the reality. Funny how as children the four of us would always play those pretend games of a world we'd created in a wardrobe. Narnia. And how I just grew out of those things, and yet here I was dreaming again, when I was going some where that most likely took away my fellow dreamers.

I swallowed these thoughts as they reached up to choke my throat. I decided to fall asleep instead it would be easiest, when I didn't have to think.

Sleeping did not help.

Every time I would go to sleep I would have dreams of my Siblings; Peter, Edmund, and Dear Lucy, even my parents all of them, in a beautiful land, but it was strange I could tell it was a beautiful land but I couldn't see the land, I just knew it in my heart I suppose. They were with others mystical creatures, that I had not thought of in years, fauns, animals that talked and some walked on two legs, centaurs. And a Lion, I wish I could have seen his face but it glowed so brightly I couldn't. I also saw Lucy talking to a faun, for some reason it all made me want to cry.

At one point I saw them all together, Peter, Edmund, and Lucy that is. They were all talking and laughing but then Ed said something and they looked down, as if disappointed. Then they all looked at me.

That was when I woke up with a jolt, the car had gone over some train tracks.

I was dropped at a hotel and no sooner had I found my room and put by suitcase down then the porter knocked at the door informing me the police was there to take me to the wreck.

I followed him downstairs and to the police car. The policeman stood in front of the door his hat off, when I approached he opened the door for me, which I took courteously.

I new to expect a mess, but I was overwhelmed at the destruction in front of me when I came to the wreck.

I was in shock.

The policeman came over and opened my door, immediately the smell of it all came in. Burning coal, and metal, and a stench of death hung in the air, though more sense then smell.

I was taken aback by the carnage alone.

"This way please, miss."A policeman said, putting his arm forward. At that moment I felt a sense of familiarity at the scene. He brought me to a tent. "When you found someone you recognize come to me."He said, his voice was full of compassion, and sadness.

I walked down the aisle of pallets that held bodies, there were three aisles in all. The smell was awful, even the wind couldn't take the foulness away before it was smelt.

I made my way down one side of the many deceased. Looking at the faces and thinking of the families that had to identify them, then looking around and seeing the small crowd of people that were looking at the faces and crying.

I heard a scream and looked behind me to see a woman grasping one of the bodies on another side of the tent, a few men came in and helped her up guiding her away before others picked up the body and took it out of the tent.

I felt my stomach clench, and my throat catch. But I would stay calm, I had to.

I kept walking ever so slowly, looking for the right faces, or hopefully no faces.

I had made it to the end of the second aisle not seeing anything, hope fluttering in my stomach that they may be alive, but then thoughts of where they were otherwise flooded in, them trapped with no way of survival, or just not being found yet.

I went on to the third line and almost kept walking, when I saw a lock of bright golden hair, I turned and saw Peter. At first I just stood there, not sure what to think or say, then I knelt and felt tears sting my eyes, then burst through, I didn't sob, they were silent tears.

I looked hard at Peter's face because my tears started to blur my vision. I could see a streak of blood down the side of his white face, but I'd never seen him look braver, or more at peace, he looked somehow happy.

I felt the presence of someone behind me, I looked up to see a man there. His look said it all, pity, feeling blessed he hadn't lost someone yet, glad he was not me, and sad for me.

Before he had a chance to ask what I knew was going to I said. "It's my older brother."

He nodded. "Do you need a break."

I thought for a moment then shook my head the sooner I got this over with the better.

Tears streak my face. I wasn't a wreck yet but my the end of this I would be.

I watched them carry Peter out, they seemed so careful with him, as if he were the king himself. More tears came at the thought of him being a High King in our games.

I found my mother, not long afterwards. I cried harder then seeing her face, wishing she would get up and give me a hug, stroke my hair and tell me it would be alright.

I was sent back to hotel being told that more people would be brought the next day. They could only bring people when other were identified.

I got to the hotel and looked at the blank white walls that hung around me. No color, exactly how I felt.

In just one moment I fall on the bed in wracking sobs that I hid in my pillows. I longed for my own bed.

I woke up the next morning to do the same thing.

The crowd of people looking for their loved ones was a bit larger today but it made no difference to me.

I walked some what numbly through the process of looking for my family. Some of the bodies I had seen yesterday were still there while others were gone, no doubt found by their families.

I felt sorry for the people that didn't have any family to identify them.

Walking down the way I saw my father, I cried there by myself, I had a thought that it might have been nice to have my aunt and uncle with me, but then I knew I wouldn't be able to get through the whole ordeal, if I had someone there. I alerted a policeman to him and he was carried out.

Walking along looking down, I saw someone fall into step with me.

I looked at saw the same policeman who had brought me the day before. I didn't notice before that he was rather young looking. "You looked as though you need some company."He said.

I didn't respond I just looked at the faces, looking behind me to see the faces I missed when I had glanced up at the man next to me.

When I found Edmund I let out a small sob, kneeling next to him, He had that same peaceful look Peter had had, but he looked as though he were smirking, I laughed at this but it was choked out by a sob. Thinking of him and how he was always so sassy at just the times, made think of what he would say to me if he could see me crying right now. "Why Su' crying over little ole' me, I never thought I'd see the day." He'd say.

"It might help to talk about it."The man said.

"That may be, but there's to much of Edmund to talk about."I said a laugh getting out, before the tears took over again. "I don't even know your name, Sir."

"Hendon, James Hendon."

"Well Mr Hendon, what is it you mean by being with me."

He looked at me for a moment then said. "You looked like you needed a friend, and That's what I'd like to be."

I tried a smile, but I– I still couldn't quite smile.

"Susan Pevensie."I said in a quiet voice. He stayed with me for the rest of my search, he didn't say anything, which I was grateful for, his presence was enough.

I found no one else today, and left for the hotel thinking only Lucy was left, and crying at the thought seeing her lifeless body, my little sister, lying on a pallet.

I fell asleep crying.

I found her. I found Lucy.

"She was still so young."I whispered, as I looked at her. My knees gave out from under me, James catching me and bringing me close to the ground.

I stroked her hair, it was cold. Her beautiful eye's were closed for forever.

I had found the right faces, but they weren't the people anymore, they were gone.

I want them back.

 **(A/N) Thanks for reading, please leave a review.**


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